Modular scaffold board

ABSTRACT

A modular scaffold board comprising: a plurality of board members of different lengths; and at least one joining member, for joining the board members in an end-to-end fashion. A kit of parts comprising a plurality of board members of different lengths, joining members and end parts for forming modular scaffold boards in a wide variety of lengths is also described.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/300,385 filed Sep. 29, 2016, which represents the national stageentry of PCT International Application No. PCT/GB2015/050995 filed Mar.31, 2005 and claims priority to British Patent Application No. 1405938.0filed Apr. 2, 2014. The contents of these applications are herebyincorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a modular scaffold board which can beused as part of a temporary scaffold structure for supporting people andmaterials in the construction or repair of buildings and other largestructures.

Scaffolding systems ordinarily comprise a series of tubes, couplers andboards to provide a stable structure from which tradesmen can work. Thetubes form the basic framework of the scaffold structure, linkedtogether by couplers. Tubes are usually formed from steel or aluminiumbut composite materials are sometimes used (in particular if there is arisk from electrical cables).

Boards are used to provide a supporting surface to support scaffoldusers and materials. Typically, boards are made from seasoned wood.Scaffold boards come in standard thicknesses of 38 mm (about 1.5inches), 50 mm (about 2 inches) and 63 mm (about 2.5 inches), have awidth of 225 mm (about 9 inches) and may be up to 3.9 m (about 13 feet)in length. In addition to wooden boards, steel, aluminium and polymercomposite boards may be used.

In order to provide scaffolding that fits the particular building orstructure under construction, repair, etc, full length scaffold boardsare cut into shorter lengths for individual projects. This results innumerous, unrequired, offcuts. These offcuts are then either discardedor stored in the hope they may be required on another project at somepoint in the future. The cut length will also be stored at the end ofthe project with the same hope that it may be required again.

In practice, however, it is often inefficient to use cut lengths fromprevious projects. A selection of lengths may be transported to the siteof a project speculatively, many of which will not be suitable. Time andresources are therefore wasted, firstly, on transporting the cutlengths, and secondly, on finding and selecting a suitable length board.Consequently, it is often more practical to transport only full lengthboards and cut these down to size on site. This leaves many cut scaffoldboards unused, in storage.

In storage, large quantities of cut boards are often left out in theopen for months on end, while further full length boards are cut downinto different required lengths and will eventually add to the stockpile. Unused scaffold boards, particularly those made from wood, have alimited life span when stored for long periods out in the open,especially if spacing timbers are not used between each length of boardto allow the air to circulate, which is often the case. Therefore, manycut boards become unusable after a period of time so are wasted.

Storing the various length scaffold boards also takes a considerableamount of time and resources. This is because it is necessary to sortthe returned boards by size in order to store them in the correctlocation, with others of the same length. Further, each stored scaffoldboard needs to be visually inspected for signs of weather deteriorationbefore being allowed back into the work space. This requires large areasthat can be easily accessed, which is costly.

One practice in the scaffolding industry known as “notching” involvesremoving a small section to create a recess, a “notch”, at an edge of aboard in order to fit round an obstacle such as pipe-work or steel-work.However, once notched, a board is usually rendered unusable. Therefore,either an entire board is lost or the board may be cut into smallerlengths, adding to the problems discussed above.

SUMMARY

It is an aim of the present invention to at least partially address someof the issues above.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided amodular scaffold board comprising; a plurality of board members ofdifferent lengths; and at least one joining member, for joining theboard members in an end-to-end fashion.

Said at least one joining member may be a separate component from theboard members. The joining member may comprise a male connecting memberat each end connecting with a respective female connecting member of theboard members it connects.

In another arrangement, said at least one joining member may comprise amale connecting part at one end connecting with a female connecting partof one board member and a female connecting part at the other endconnecting to a male connecting part of another board member.

In a preferred embodiment, each board member has a male connecting partat one end and a female connecting part at the other end and the joiningmember also has a male connecting part at one end and a femaleconnecting part at the other end.

Each board member may have a joining member integrally formed therewith.The joining member may comprises a male connecting part at one end ofthe board member which connects with a female connecting part of anotherboard member.

Preferably, the modular scaffold board comprises an end cap at each endthereof. One end cap may have a male connecting part connected to afemale connecting part of a board member and the other end cap may havea female connecting part connected to a male connecting part of anotherboard member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda kit of parts for a modular scaffold board, the kit of partscomprising: a plurality of board members of different lengths; and atleast one joining member, for joining the board members in an end-to-endfashion.

The kit of parts may comprise: a plurality of boards members includingboard members of at least two different lengths in which the joiningmember comprises a male connecting part at one end and a femaleconnecting part at the other end integrally formed therewith for joiningthe board members in an end-to-end fashion.

The kit of parts may also comprise a plurality of end caps for fittingto the ends of the modular scaffold board(s).

Preferably, the kit of parts comprises a plurality of boards membersincluding board members of at least two different lengths, each boardmember comprising a male connecting part at one end and a femaleconnecting part at the other end, and a plurality of end caps forfitting to the ends of the modular scaffold board(s).

In a first preferred arrangement, the kit of parts comprises a pluralityof board members of a first length 12L and a plurality of board membersof a second length 24L, together with a plurality of end caps of length2L and/or 4L, whereby modular boards can be assembled in a wide varietyof lengths in increments of 2L.

The kit of parts may also comprise a plurality of third board members ofa third length 36L.

The kit of parts may also comprise a plurality of fourth board membersor joining members comprising a male connecting part at one end and afemale connecting part at the other end, the male and/or femaleconnecting parts thereof being adapted so that the fourth board memberor joining member can be connected only between another board member andan end cap.

Said fourth board members or joining members may have a length of 4L.

In a preferred arrangement L=1 inch (2.54 cm) so board members areprovided in 1 foot, 2 foot and/or in 3 foot lengths (about 30 cm, 61 cmand 91 cm, respectively)

The board members preferably have a substantially rectangularcross-section. The board members may have an upper face, a lower faceand two side faces, the side faces being substantially planar so theycan abut against or be positioned close to side faces of one of moreadjacent modular board members.

In a preferred embodiment, the upper face may be substantially planarand the lower face has an open, concave or recessed form.

The male and female connecting parts of the joining member arepreferably configured to provide a connection between board memberswhich gives the modular scaffold board stability under forces exerted ina direction perpendicular to the direction of engagement of the male andfemale connecting parts.

Said connection is preferably able to support at least the weight of aperson standing thereon whereby, when a modular board is supported by aplurality of transoms spaced apart by a minimum recommended spacing S,board members having a length less than S do not necessarily have to besupported by a transom.

The modular scaffold board or kit of parts may further comprising alocking mechanism for releasably locking the board members and thejoining member in the joined state.

The locking mechanism may comprise mutually engageable male and femalecomponents at respective ends of each board member and a locking membermoveable between an open position in which it permits said male andfemale components can be engaged and disengaged from each other and alocked position in which it inhibits disengagement of the male andfemale components.

The locking member may be a separate component which is rotatablerelative to the board member between said locked and unlocked positions.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking member is rotatable about an axissubstantially perpendicular to a major face of the board member.

The modular scaffold board or kit of parts may be formed substantiallyof a plastics material and may be formed by injection moulding.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of forming a modular scaffold board, the method comprising thesteps of: selecting a plurality of board members from a group of boardmembers including board members of different lengths; joining theplurality of board members in an end-to-end fashion with at least onejoining member.

The method may further comprise the step of: capping at least onenon-joined end of the board members with an end-cap selected from agroup of end-caps including end-caps of different lengths.

The assembled modular scaffold board is preferably arranged to besupported by transoms positioned beneath the board.

Preferably, the modular scaffold board is arranged to be used alongsideconventional wooden scaffold boards having substantially the samecross-sectional dimensions.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda board member for the modular scaffold board according to the firstaspect, comprising: a substantially cuboidal member having asubstantially rectangular cross-section in a transverse plane; at leastone hollow intrusion, extending in a longitudinal directionperpendicular to the transverse plane, from one end face of the cuboidalmember, forming a female connecting part.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda joining member for the modular scaffold board according to the firstaspect, comprising: a substantially cuboidal member having asubstantially rectangular cross-section in a transverse plane at leastone protrusion, extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular tothe transverse plane, from each end face of the substantially cuboidalmember, forming a male connecting part.

The joining member may further comprise: at least one elastic lockingmember each end, configured to engage with an engaging portion off boardmember.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan end-cap for the modular scaffold board according to the first aspect,comprising: a substantially cuboidal member having a substantiallyrectangular cross-section in a transverse plane; at least oneprotrusion, extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to thetransverse plane, from one end face of the substantially cuboidalmember, forming a male connecting part.

The end cap may further comprise: at least one elastic locking memberconfigured to engage with an engaging portion of a detachable boardmember.

The board members and joining members may be mirror symmetric in threeorthogonal planes, corresponding to planes perpendicular to length,width and thickness directions of the modular scaffold board.

The end-cap may be mirror symmetric in two orthogonal planes,corresponding to planes perpendicular to width and thickness directionsof the modular scaffold board.

With the present invention, a modular scaffold board of almost anydesired length, can be constructed from a number of different lengthboard members and joining members. This eliminates the need to cutboards to a desired length. This in turn increases the efficiency withwhich scaffolding can be erected, reduces wastage and improves storageoperations. Further, only individual board members need be notched,therefore a small section can be discarded as opposed to a whole board,thus reducing waste.

As indicated above, in a preferred arrangement, most or all of the boardmembers may be provided in two relatively short lengths, e.g. 1 ft(about 30 cm) and 2 ft (about 61 cm) board members, from which a widerange of board lengths can be constructed. The end caps are alsopreferably provided in a range of lengths, e.g. 1 inch (about 2.5 cm), 3inches (about 7.6 cm) and 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) so that it ispossible to construct board lengths of almost any desired lengths.

A preferred kit of parts comprising a plurality of board lengths of tworelatively short lengths, a plurality of joining members and a pluralityof end caps of different sizes is thus sufficient for the majority ofapplications and can be dis-assembled for re-use in other applicationswith little or no wastage. The use of a kit of parts comprising thissmall number of different components also greatly simplifies, storageand transportation of the components and is much more efficient toorganise and use.

Further, because the board is made up of modular parts, which arelighter, easier to carry and easier to manoeuvre than full lengthboards, accidents and work place injuries can be reduced, thus improvingsafety. Further still, because the board members are joined end-to-end,there are fewer trip hazards compared to regular boards which are notjoined. Also, modular parts can be carried to high or difficult-to-reachplatforms more easily than full length boards, thus improvingaccessibility. When short boards are required to make up the platformlength they tend to become easily displaced due to their weight andlength unless they are secured to the scaffold, so by being able to joinsmaller board members together, not only are trip hazards reduced, alsothe possibility of movement of individual boards is greatly reduced.

Other preferred and optional features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and from the subsidiary claims of thespecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which correspondingreference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a modularscaffold board.

FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of the modular scaffold board in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of another modular scaffold board.

FIG. 2B shows an exploded view of the modular scaffold board in FIG. 2B

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a joining member used in the firstembodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an end-cap used in the firstembodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an enlarged male connecting part ofthe joining member.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an enlarged elastic locking member ofthe joining member.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of a board member o a second embodimentof a modular scaffold board.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of a locking member used with the boardmember of FIG. 7A.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a plan view and an end view, respectively, of theboard member of FIG. 7A.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a bottom view and an end view (from the other end),respectively, of the board member of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 10A is a perspective exploded view of the locking member of FIG. 7Band part of the board member of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing the locking member installedwithin said board member, and FIG. 10C is a sectional view thereof.

FIGS. 11A, 12A and 13A are perspective views of a joining member of thesecond embodiment of a board member illustrating operation of thelocking member—the board member in which the locking member is mounted(in the manner shown in FIG. 10) being omitted for clarity.

FIGS. 11B, 12B and 13B show plan views of the position of the lockingmember in relation to the board member in the steps shown in FIGS. 11A,12A and 13A, respectively.

FIG. 11C is a side view of the locking member in the position shown inFIG. 11A and FIG. 13C is a side view of the locking member in theposition shown in FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view of two board members of thesecond embodiment prior to being joined together.

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the two board members of FIG. 14A oncejoined together.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of an end piece and a boardmember of the second embodiment prior to being joined together.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a shorter board member of the secondembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A is a drawing of a modular scaffold board illustrative of amodular scaffold board according to a first embodiment of the presentinvention. FIG. 1 also indicates a length direction l, width direction wand thickness direction t, of the modular scaffold board and its modularparts, used in the following detailed description. The modular scaffoldboard comprises a plurality of board members 1 of different lengths (inFIG. 1A, two boards are used with lengths L1 and L2) and at least onejoining member 2, joining the board members in an end-to-end fashion(i.e. in a length direction l). FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of themodular scaffold board of FIG. 1A.

Any number of board members 1 may be used to form a modular scaffoldboard of a desired total length, L. Any number of different length boardmembers 1 may be used. By using different length board members 1,modular scaffold boards of different lengths can be constructed. Thelengths of the joining members 2, if multiple joining members 2 areused, may also be different. However, it is preferable that these are ofa single length. This is because it is then only necessary to make asingle length available for use, which prevents any wasted time inselecting the optimal length joining member 2.

The modular scaffold board may also include one or more end-caps 3 atnon-joined ends of the board members 1. The end caps may be the same ordifferent lengths. Providing end-caps 3 in a plurality of lengths allowsthe user to create modular scaffold boards in a wider variety of totallengths.

Most preferably, board members 1 may be provided in a finite number oflengths, for example, a plurality of lengths selected from 1 ft, 2 ft,or 3 ft lengths. The end-caps 3 may also be provided in a finite numberof lengths, for example, a plurality of lengths selected from 1 inch, 2inch, 3 inch, 4 inch, 5 inch or 6 inch lengths.

The modular scaffold board of the invention may be constructed from akit of parts. The kit of parts includes a plurality of board members, atleast one joining member and may include one or more end-caps.Preferably the kit of parts includes a plurality of board members in 1ft and 2 ft lengths, a plurality of identical joining members and aplurality of end-caps in 1 inch, 3 inch and 5 inch lengths. End-capswith these lengths can combine to create additional lengths in 2 inchincrements (2 inch, 4 inch, 6 inch, 8 inch and 10 inch lengths). Thiscombination of different lengths provides an adequate range of optionsfor most applications, with an easily manageable number of components.

It should be noted that the modular scaffold board of the presentinvention as a whole (i.e. multiple board members 1 connected by joiningmembers 2 with optional end-caps 3) preferably has a strength equal to,or surpassing, a similar length wooden board. Therefore, the samestandard governing supporting wooden boards will apply to the modularscaffold board. This standard is that a minimum of three supports areprovided to any length board (for modular scaffold board), with no morethan 1.2 m between supports. Alternatively, lower specification modularscaffold boards may be provided which, for example, require supports at0.9 m intervals.

The width and thickness of the modular scaffold board is preferably thesame as standard wooden boards, namely 9 inches wide and 1.5 inches (38mm) thick. This means that the modular scaffold board of the presentinvention is suitable to be used in combination with wooden boards so asto provide even greater versatility.

An outer surface of a joining member 2 may form an outer surface of themodular scaffold board, as illustrated in FIG. 1A. The board members 1and joining members 2 may form a contiguous surface and a top and/orside face of the modular scaffold board. Similarly, an outer surface ofan end-cap 3 may form an outer surface of the modular scaffold board,such that the board members 1 and end-caps 3 may form a contiguoussurface and a top and/or side face of the modular scaffold board.Additionally, an end-face of an end-cap 3 forms an end-face of themodular scaffold board. This end-face is preferably flat.

The modular scaffold board preferably has a substantially homogenouscross-sectional shape over its full length. In particular, it ispreferable that the thickness and/or width of the modular scaffold boardis homogenous over its entire length. This improves safety and improvesease of use.

The board members 1 (as shown in FIGS. 1A-2B) may comprise asubstantially cuboidal member 11 having a substantially rectangularcross-section in a transverse plane. The joining members 2 and end-caps3 may have a similar basic structure. The joining member 2 (as shown inFIG. 3) may comprise a substantially cuboidal member 21 having asubstantially rectangular cross-section in a transverse plane. Theend-cap 3 (as shown in FIG. 4) may comprise a substantially cuboidalmember 31 having a substantially rectangular cross-section in atransverse plane. The substantially cuboidal members of each of theboard members 1, joining members 2 and end-caps 3 forming a modularscaffold board, preferably have the same thickness t) (in a directionperpendicular to a supporting surface of the board member) and width w)(in a direction parallel to a supporting surface of the board member),but may differ in their lengths l). Outer surfaces of the substantiallycuboidal members of the board members 1, joining members 2 and end-caps3 may form the outer surfaces of the modular scaffold board.

As mentioned, board members 1 of the present invention, are configuredto be joined end-to-end (i.e. in a length direction l) by a joiningmember 2, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A. One board member 1 is joined toeach end of the joining member 2. The board members may also beconfigured to be joined with an end-cap 3, as shown in FIG. 2A. Joininga board member 1 to a joining member 2 or an end-cap 3 can be done inany number of ways, some examples of which are described below. Theseexamples are described with reference to the joining member 2, howeverthe same applies to the end-cap 3.

The board members 1 may each include a female connecting part 4 and thejoining member 2 (or end-cap 3) may include a male connecting part 5. Atleast two male connecting parts 5 are provided on the joining member atopposite end faces of the joining member 2. At least one male connectingpart 5 is provided on the end-cap 3 at one end face. The board members 1may also include female connecting parts 4 at each end. The boardmembers may be joined to the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3) byengagement of the male connecting parts 5 with the female connectingparts 4. The engagement of the male connecting parts 5 of the joiningmember 2 (or end-cap 3) and female connecting parts 4 of the boardmember 1 gives the modular scaffold board stability under force exertedin a direction perpendicular to direction of engagement of the maleconnecting parts 5 and female connecting parts 4 (the length directionl), for example from the weight of a person or materials on the modularscaffold board. In order to maximise this stability, it is preferablethat the engagement length (i.e. the overlapping distance between themale connecting parts 5 and female connecting parts 4) is sufficientlylong. However, if the engagement length is too large, this may result indifficulty in the construction of the modular scaffold board and/orincrease the size and weight of the joining member 2. Therefore, hispreferable that the engagement length is between about 1 and 6 inches.More preferably, the engagement length should be between about 2 and 4inches. Preferably still, the engagement length should be about 3inches.

The male connecting parts 5 and female connecting parts 4 may have avariety of complementary shapes for engaging with each other but shouldprovide a secure, tight connection between the board members, be ofsufficient strength and be relatively easy to assemble and disassemble.

Preferably, the female connecting parts 4 should have a substantiallyrectangular cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to thedirection of engagement (transverse plane). Preferably, the crosssectional area is homogenous over the engagement length, The femaleconnecting parts 4 may be of any length. Preferably, female connectingparts 4 at either end of the board member 1 form a single hollowintrusion through the entire length of the board member 1, extending ina longitudinal direction (length direction l), perpendicular to thetransverse plane of the board member 1. Preferably, this hollowintrusion has a homogenous rectangular cross-section as shown in FIGS.1A-2B. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-2B, each female connectingpart 4 is formed from a rectangular, hollow tube through the boardmember 1. A board member 1 with these features, namely a board memberwith a uniform cross-section, is ideally suited to being formed by anextrusion method, making large scale manufacturing easy. Thereforematerials suitable for extrusion, such as plastics and some metals, arepreferably used for the board member, this will be discussed in moredetail later.

According to an embodiment, male connecting parts 5 are formed by atleast one protrusion, extending in a longitudinal direction (lengthdirection l) perpendicular to the transverse plane of the joining member2 (or end-cap 3), from each end face (or one end face, in the case of anend-cap 3) of a substantially cuboidal member of the joining member 2(or end-cap 3). Preferably, the male connecting parts 5 should have asubstantially rectangular cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicularto the direction of engagement (transverse plane). The cross-sectionalarea may be homogenous over the entire engagement length. However,preferably, the cross-sectional area is largest at a proximal end 51 andsmallest at a distal end 52 of the male connecting part 5, so as toassist the construction of the modular scaffold board. Preferably, thethickness of the male connecting part 5 changes in at least a portion ofthe male connecting part S creating a different cross-sectional area,the width of each male connecting part 5 is preferably uniform.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a first, proximal-most portion 53 ofthe male connecting part 5 has a relatively large homogenouscross-sectional shape and area a second portion 54 of the maleconnecting part 5 is tapered, a third portion 55 has a relatively smallhomogenous cross-section and a fourth, distal-most portion 56 is alsotapered. In this embodiment, the difference in cross-sectional area iscreated by changing the thickness of the male connecting parts 5 in thetapered portions. The change in thickness need not be very large to makeinsertion of the male connecting parts 5 into the female connectingparts 4 easier. A difference greater than 1 mm is sufficient. Thedifference in thickness at the distal-most tapered portion 56 can belarger than the difference in other tapered portions 54 because this hasless influence over the overall fit with the female connecting parts 4.

Any number of male connecting parts 5 may be included at each end of thejoining member 2 (or one end of the end-cap 3), for example one, two,three or four male connecting parts 5. At least a corresponding numberof female connecting parts 4 should be included at an end of the boardmember 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1B, 2B, 3 and 4, in one embodiment, four maleconnecting parts 5 are provided on the joining member 2 and end-cap 3 ateach joining face. Four corresponding female connecting parts 4 areprovided at both ends of the board member 1. The four male connectingparts 5 and female connecting parts in this embodiment are arranged in asingle straight line. Further each male connecting part 5 and femaleconnecting part 4 are identical. Each of the male connecting parts 5 isseparated by a gap 50 of sufficient width to accommodate a wall 40separating each female connecting part 4. Gaps 50 and walls 40 should beprovided so as to fit closely, with a small tolerance. This ensures asecure fit between the male connecting parts 5 and the female connectingparts 4. The width of the wall 40 is preferably between 3.5 mm and 4.5mm. The width of the gaps 50 should be kept to the minimum widthpermissible to allow functionality. Preferably, the gaps 50 are no morethan 0.6 mm wider than the walls 40. In the embodiments shown in thefigures, the width of the gaps 50 is 3.6 mm and the width of the walls40 is 3 mm.

However, the male connecting parts 5 and female connecting parts cantake any complementary arrangement, for example they may be formed intwo vertically displaced (in the thickness direction t) horizontal lines(in the width direction w). Further the male connecting parts 5 andfemale connecting parts may not be identical, some may be larger andsome smaller, for example.

The modular scaffold board may further comprise a locking mechanism forreleasably locking the board members 1 and the joining member 2 (orend-cap 3) in the joined state. Preferably the locking mechanismautomatically locks the board members 1 and the joining member 2 (orend-cap 3) in the joined state. However, a manually operable lockingmechanism can be used. Any moving parts of the locking mechanism arepreferably part of the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3) as opposed to theboard member 1. The locking mechanism is preferably confined within theprofile of the modular scaffold board, i.e. it does not protrude beyondany outer most surface of the modular scaffold board.

The locking mechanism may comprise an elastic locking member 6configured to engage with an engaging portion 7 a, for example asnap-fit locking mechanism may be provided. The elastic locking member 6and engaging portion 7 a may be arranged such that the elastic forceproduced when the elastic locking member 6 is elastically deformed actsto engage the elastic locking member 6 with the engaging portion 7 aand/or to prevent disengagement. The elastic locking member 6 andengaging portion 7 a are provided on one or other of the joining member2 (or end-cap 3) and the board member 1. Preferably, the elastic lockingmember is provided on the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3) and theengaging portion 7 a is provided on the board member 1.

According to an embodiment, the elastic locking members 6 are formed byat least one protrusion, extending in a longitudinal direction (lengthdirection l) perpendicular to the transverse plane of the joining member2 (or end-cap 3), from each end face (or one end face, in the case of anend-cap 3) of a substantially cuboidal member of the joining member 2(or end-cap 3). The elastic locking member 6 may be a cantilever-typemember projecting, in the direction of engagement of the board member 1and the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3), from the joining member 2 (orend-cap 3). The elastic locking member 6 may itself include a projection61 in a direction parallel to the direction of elastic force producedwhen the elastic locking member 6 is elastically deformed. The boardmember 1 may include a corresponding depression or aperture as theengaging portion 7 a of the locking mechanism. In such an example, thedepression or aperture is preferably shaped to at least partiallyconform with the projection 61 of the elastic locking member 6. In sucha case, the elastic locking member should be made from a material, andhave a thickness, which gives it some elasticity, such as plastic orthin metal. As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic locking member 6 ispreferably a substantially flat protrusion of the joining member 2 (orend-cap 3). One face 6F of the elastic locking member 6 includes aprojection 61 such as that described above. The projection 61 preferablyhas a sloped side 61 a toward a distal end of the elastic locking member6 and a flat side 61 b toward a proximal end of the elastic lockingmember 6. The elastic locking member 6 may also have a curved,distal-most edge 62 for assisting with the locking action, as shown inFIG. 6.

The board member 1 may include a hollow intrusion 7 for accommodatingthe elastic locking member 6. The engaging portion 7 a may be formed inan inner wall of the hollow intrusion 7. The hollow intrusion 7 may beone of the female connecting parts 4 described above. The hollowintrusion 7 is preferably separate from the female connecting parts 4described above. The hollow intrusion 7 may span the full length of theboard member 1 so as to form part of a locking mechanism at both ends ofthe board member. The hollow intrusion 7 preferably has a substantiallyrectangular cross-section in a transverse plane of the board member 1.Such an arrangement is shown in FIGS. 1A-2B and contributes, along withthe shape of the female connecting parts 4, to the board member 1 in theembodiments depicted in the figures having a uniform cross-section(excluding the engaging portion 7 a). Therefore, this board member issuitable for manufacturing using an extrusion method. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1A-2B, the engaging portion 7 a is in the form of anaperture formed by a through hole. This can be formed in an extrudedboard member 1 by simply drilling the through hole in a side of theboard member 1 at the required position.

When the joining member 2 (or end-cap) and board member 1 are engaging,the sloped side 61 a of the projection 61 of the elastic locking member6 contacts a portion of the board member 1 converting a force in theengagement direction into a force in a perpendicular direction,deforming the elastic locking member 6. As the engagement continues, theelastic locking member 6 maintains its deformed state until the positionof the projection 61 of the elastic locking member 6 corresponds to theposition of the engaging portion 7 a. The elastic force produced by theelastic locking member 6 acts to engage the projection 61 of the elasticlocking member 6 with the engaging portion 7 a. If the joining member 2(or end-cap 3) and board member 1 are moved in the opposite direction,the flat side 61 b of the projection 61 of the elastic locking member 6contacts the wall of the engaging portion 7 a so as to preventseparation of the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3) and board member 1.Such an arrangement is referred to as a snap-fit arrangement.

To release the locking mechanism, a force can be applied to deform theelastic locking member 6 and disengage the projection 61 of the elasticlocking member 6 and the engaging portion 7 a. Preferably, this force isapplied via the engaging portion 7 a by providing a through-hole 7 b,from an outer surface of the board member 1 to the engaging portion 7 a,in a direction parallel to the direction of engagement of the projection61 of the elastic locking member 6 and the engaging portion 7 a. Thethrough-hole 7 b may be formed continuously with the engaging portion 7a. The through-hole 7 b and engaging portion 7 a are preferablycircular. Providing the engaging portion 7 a in such a manner can bedone easily, by drilling a through hole into the board member 1, asdiscussed above. The material of the board member can also be selectedfor this purpose i.e. a material that can be easily drilled such asplastic.

The through-hole 7 b is preferably provided in a side surface of theboard member 1. The engaging portion 7 a is therefore preferablyprovided in a side wall of the board member 1. The elastic lockingmember 6 is therefore preferably arranged to be elastically deformablein a direction perpendicular to a side surface of the board member 1 andtherefore the joining member 2 (or end-cap 3), namely a width directionw. These features mean that the through hole is not directly exposed toworkers or materials where it may become blocked or cause a trip hazard.

An elastic locking member 6 is provided at each joining face of thejoining member 2 (or end-cap 3). Correspondingly, an engaging portion 7a (and related structures) is provided at each joining face of the boardmember 1. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A-2B, two elastic lockingmembers 6 and corresponding engaging portions 7 a are provided on eachjoining face, one at each side of the joining member 2 or board member 1respectively. The female connecting parts 4 and male connecting parts 5are provided between the two engaging portions 7 a or elastic lockingmembers 6. Providing two locking mechanisms like this means that theboard members 1 and joining members 2 (or end-caps 3) are held securelyunder torsion in a horizontal plane (in a width and length direction) aswell as linear forces in a horizontal plane.

It is advantageous that the board members 1, joining members 2 andend-caps 3 can be used independent of their orientation. Therefore, itis preferable that the board members 1, joining members 2 and end-caps 3have symmetry. It is preferable that the board members 1 and joiningmembers 2 are mirror symmetric in three orthogonal planes, correspondingto planes perpendicular to the length, width and thickness directions.It is preferable that the end-caps are mirror symmetric in twoorthogonal planes, corresponding to planes perpendicular to thethickness and width directions. Accordingly, this symmetry applies toeach of the features described above. This means that the board members1, joining members 2 and end-caps are compatible with each other in anyorientation.

The board members 1, joining members 2 and end-caps 3 can be made usinga number of different materials. As discussed already, certain featuresof the modular scaffold board make each part suited to certain materialsover others.

In some embodiments, the board members 1 have a uniform cross-section.This means that they can be formed by extrusion. Therefore plastic,aluminium, or polymer composites may be preferred. Plastics and polymercomposites have the advantage of being more lightweight, which improvesproductivity, safety and transportation. Further, these materials arenot as hard as aluminium so can be more easily drilled so as to form anengaging portion 7 a.

FIGS. 7 to 16 illustrate a second embodiment of a modular scaffold boardand it parts. Many features of the second embodiment are similar tothose of the first embodiment so the following description focuses onthe differences between the embodiments.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of a board member 101 of a secondembodiment of a modular scaffold board.

In the second embodiment, the joining member is preferably integrallyformed with the board member 101. In the preferred arrangementillustrated in the drawings, the joining member comprises a maleconnecting part 102 at one end of the board member 101 and a femaleconnecting part 104 at the other end of the board member. These male andfemale parts may have a similar form to the male and female partsdescribed in relation to the first embodiment or may have a slightlydifferent form as illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 7A (and in FIGS. 8and 11-16).

The second embodiment also has a different form of locking mechanism.The locking mechanism preferably comprises mutually engageable male andfemale components 106, 107 at respective end of the board member and aseparate locking member 112 which is insertable into an aperture 113 inone end of the board member (the female end of the board member in thearrangement shown) and rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a majorface of the board member 101 between an unlocked position and a lockedposition, in the unlocked position it permits the engageable male andfemale components 106, 107 to engage and disengage from each other andin the locked position it inhibits or prevents disengagement of the maleand female components 106, 107.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of a locking member 112 used with theboard member of FIG. 7A. It has a relatively wide upper end with thumbgrips 114 to enable a user to rotate it about its axis, a relativelynarrow, waisted section 115 for fitting into an open end of the malecomponent 106 and retaining tabs 116 at its lower end for engaging withthe female end of the board member when it is mounted axially within theaperture 113.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a plan view and an end view, respectively, of theboard member 101 of FIG. 7A. FIG. 8B shows the male connecting parts 102of the board member and the male component 106 of the locking mechanism.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a bottom view and an end view (from the other end),respectively, of the board member 101 of FIG. 7A. FIG. 9B shows thefemale connecting parts 104 of the board member and the female component107 of the locking mechanism.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate assembly of the locking member 112 into thefemale end of a board member 101.

FIG. 10A shows the locking member 112 ready for insertion into anaperture 113 in a major face of the female end of the board member 101.Preferably, the locking member 112 is a snap-fit into the aperture 113so once fitted is retained in the aperture. FIG. 10B shows the lockingmember 112 installed in said aperture 113 in the board member 101, andFIG. 10C is a sectional view of the locking member 112 and board member101 in this position.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate operation of the locking mechanism. As the maleconnecting parts 102 at one end of a first board member 101 are engagedwith female connecting parts 104 of another board member (to join theboard members together in end-to-end fashion), the male component 106 ofthe locking mechanism (on the first board member) engages with thefemale component 107 of the locking mechanism (on the other boardmember) and the waisted part 115 of the locking member 112 enters anopening 117 at the distal end of the male component 106 of the lockingmechanism. The locking member 112 is thus moved from the position shownin FIGS. 11A and 11B to that shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B.

The locking member 112 is then rotated 90 degrees about its axis fromthe position shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B to that shown in FIGS. 13A and13B. In this locked position, the width of the waisted portion 115 ofthe locking member 112 prevents it being withdrawn from the opening 117in the distal end of the male component 106 of the locking mechanism andthus inhibits or prevents disengagement of the male and femaleconnecting parts 106, 107 of the two board members.

FIG. 11C and 13C show the different widths of the waisted portion 115 ofthe locking member 112 in the unlocked and locked positions.

FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view of two board members 101 of thesecond embodiment prior to being joined together and FIG. 14B is aperspective view of the two board members 101 once they have been joinedtogether (BB the locking member is not shown in these Figures).

As in the first embodiment, end caps are preferably provided for fittingto the two ends of a modular scaffold board. For the preferred versionof the second embodiment illustrated in which each board member 101 hasa male end and a female end, two versions of end caps will be required,one having male connecting parts for joining to the female connectingparts at one end of the modular board member and the other having femaleconnecting parts for joining to the male connecting parts at the otherend of the modular scaffold board.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of an end cap 103 having maleconnecting parts 102 ready to be fitted to the female end of a modularscaffold board (again, this Figure does not show the locking member).

A preferred kit of parts for the second embodiment comprises a pluralityof boards members 101 including board members of at least two differentlengths and a plurality of end caps 103 for fitting to the ends of themodular scaffold boards. Preferably, the kit of parts comprises aplurality of board members 101 of a first length, eg of 1 foot (approx30 cm) and a plurality of board members 101 of a second length, eg 2feet (approx 61 cam), together with a plurality of end caps 103 oflength (which may also be provided in different lengths, eg 2 inches and4 inches long (approx 5 cam and 10 cm), whereby modular boards can heassembled in a wide variety of lengths in increments of 2 inches (approx5 cm).

The need to ‘cut to fit’, which leads to considerable waste intraditional scaffolding, can be minimised or eliminated.

The kit of parts may also comprise a plurality of third board members101 of a third length, eg 3 feet (approx 91 cm).

In a further arrangement, the kit of parts may also comprise a pluralityof fourth board members 101 comprising a male connecting part 102 at oneend and a female connecting part 104 at the other end. The fourth boardmembers 101 are typically shorter than the first, second and third boardmembers, and might typically have a length of 4 inches (approx 10 cm).

The male and/or female connecting parts 102, 104 of the fourth boardmembers 101 may also be adapted so that the fourth board member 101 canbe connected only between another board member 101 and an end cap 103.This may, for example, be achieved by making the female connecting parts104 of the fourth board members 101 less deep then the male connectingparts 102 of the first, second and third board members 101 so that thesecannot be fully inserted into the female connecting parts 104 of thefourth board members; 101. In this case, the end caps 103 with maleconnecting parts 102 may be provided with shorter male parts 102 so theycan be fully inserted into the female connecting parts 104 of the fourthboard members 101 (and the female connecting parts 104 of the first,second and third board members)

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a fourth (shorter) board member of thesecond embodiment.

It will be appreciated that a shorter board member 101 such as thatshown in FIG. 16 may also be regarded as a joining member that joins twolonger board members 101 in end-to-end fashion, in effect, in a similarmanner to the separate joining member used in the first embodiment (inthis case, the shorter board member may have male and female connectingparts of the same length of those of the other board members). A boardmember 101 such as that shown in FIG. 16 can thus be seen as either ashort board member (with integral joining members) for connecting otherboard members 101 together or as a separate joining member 2 for joiningtwo board members 101 together.

It will also be appreciated that although the joining members of thesecond embodiment, ie the male joining components 102 thereof, arepreferably integrally formed with the remainder of the board member 101,eg in an injection moulding process, it would also be possible for theseto be separate parts which have been assembled or joined together(whether reversibly or irreversibly).

It will be appreciated that the modular scaffold boards describedherein, eg as shown in FIGS. 1 and 14, have a substantially rectangularcross-section (similar to that of a conventional wooden scaffold board)and, in particular, has substantially planar sides 101A, 101B so thatthe modular scaffold boards can abut each other side by side without anysignificant gap there between (but do not need to be connected to beconnected to boards positioned alongside).

Although some board members may be designed so they can be used witheither thee uppermost, it may also be advantageous for them to bedesigned so as to have an upper face which differs from the lower face,eg to ensure that all locking members are inserted from the upper face,or so that only the upper face need be provided with a non-slip surfacefinish or because it is desirable for the underside of the board to havea different from for ease of manufacture and/or to reduce the weight ofthe board member. In one preferred form (not shown) the underside of theboard may have an open or concave form), eg as shown in FIGS. 9A and10C.

As indicated above, the male and female connecting parts 102, 104 aredesigned to provide a stable connection between board members 101. Inparticular, it is desirable that the connection is sufficiently strongso that a board member supported only by its connection to other boardmembers at its ends is able to support the weight of a person (or otherload bearing requirement for a scaffold board). Thus, whilst the modularscaffold board is still supported by transoms at a minimum specifiedspacing 5, it is not necessary for a transom to be positioned underevery board member 101. It will be appreciated that this is ofsignificant importance if one of the length of board members provided,is less than the spacing S.

The shape and design of the male and female connecting parts 102, 104 iscritical in determining the strength of the connection they provide. Inthe embodiments described, the male connecting parts 102 comprise aplurality of fingers, the first embodiment have four fingers side byside 5 and the second embodiment have two pairs of fingers 102A, 102B. Afurther arrangement (not shown) comprises two sets of three fingers.Other arrangements are possible. A close, snug fit between the male andfemale connecting parts 102, 104 is also desirable to provide a rigidconnection and to minimise any lateral movement, eg in the directionperpendicular to the face of the board members 101. Manufacturingtolerances thus need to be carefully controlled to provide a tight fit.Forming the parts by injection moulding enables the parts to be formedwith the required accuracy.

The invention described herein is primarily aimed at providing modularscaffold boards for use in construction of a conventional scaffoldstructure as distinct from what is known as ‘system’ scaffolding inwhich bespoke components are used and plank have connectors at theirends for connecting them to some form of framework.

As mentioned, the parts of the modular scaffold board are preferablyformed of a plastics material. Plastics and polymer composites alsoprovide materials suitable for other advantageous features of the boardmembers such as colouration so as to identify boards having specificcharacteristics or textured surfaces to improve grip. Textured surfacescan also be applied to the board members 1 by spray coating. Plasticprovides a good base for such a coating. Compared to metals such asaluminium for example, many plastics have better chemical resistance.For example, aluminium will exhibit some powdering due to the formationof aluminium oxide, this can reduce grip. Plastics do not react in thisway.

The board members are preferably made from polypropylene block copolymeror polypropylene high impact copolymer. However other plastics may beused, such as PVC, in particular uPVC, PE, in particular HDPE, polyamidenylon and PET. The board members can be further stiffened and/orstrengthened by adding reinforcing fibers to the polymer resin so as toform a polymer composite. Reinforcing fibers such as mineral or glassfiber, Kevlar fiber, nylon or rayon may be used.

If the board members, joining members and/or end-caps of the inventionare not suitable for forming by extrusion, these parts may be formed byinjection molding. Plastics, polymer composites and aluminium are alsosuitable materials for the joining members and end-caps. The boardmembers, joining members and end-caps may be made from the samematerial, e.g. polypropylene block copolymer; or from differentmaterials, e.g. polypropylene block copolymer board members andaluminium joining members and end-caps.

1. A kit of parts from which a modular scaffold board of a plurality ofdifferent lengths is constructed, the modular scaffold board beingsuitable for use instead of and/or alongside conventional seasoned woodscaffold boards in a scaffold structure in which the modular scaffoldboard and/or conventional seasoned wood scaffold boards are arranged tobe supported by transoms positioned beneath the modular scaffold boardand/or conventional seasoned wood scaffold boards with a predeterminedmaximum spacing S between the transoms, the kit of parts comprising: aplurality board members including board members of at least twodifferent lengths, each board member being shorter than thepredetermined maximum spacing S, each board member having asubstantially rectangular cross-section in a transverse plane andextending in a longitudinal direction, perpendicular to the transverseplane, and each longitudinal end of each board member comprising atleast one hollow intrusion, extending in the longitudinal direction,forming a female connecting part; at least one joining member, which isa separate component from the board members, configured to join theboard members together in an end-to-end fashion, so as to enableconstruction of the modular scaffold board of a plurality of differentlengths, the joining member extending in the longitudinal direction andeach longitudinal end of the joining member comprising at least oneprotrusion, extending in the longitudinal direction, forming maleconnecting part configured to engage with a respective female connectingpart of the plurality of board members; and a locking mechanismconfigured to releasably lock the board members and joining members inthe joined state; wherein, when the modular scaffold board isconstructed, the male and female connecting parts are configured toprovide a connection between board members which gives the modularscaffold board stability under forces exerted in a directionperpendicular to the longitudinal direction, such that said stabilityunder said forces is equal to, or surpasses, that of a conventionalseasoned wood scaffold board of the same length, such that the modularscaffold board is able to support at least the weight of a person whensupported by transoms with the predetermined maximum spacing S, in thescaffold structure.
 2. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, wherein theeach of the plurality of board members has a length less than 1.2 m. 3.A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofboard members has a length less than 0.9 m.
 4. A kit of parts as claimedin claim 1, wherein the plurality of board members include board members1 foot and 3 foot in length.
 5. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1,wherein an overlapping length between the male connecting parts of theat least one joining member and the female connecting parts of the boardmembers, when the modular scaffold board is constructed, is between 1and 6 inches.
 6. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 5, wherein theoverlapping length is between 2 and 4 inches.
 7. A kit of partsaccording to claim 1, wherein each board member comprises a plurality offemale connecting parts and each joining member comprises a plurality ofmale connecting parts.
 8. A kit of parts according to claim 1 whereinthe at least one hollow intrusion forming the female connecting part ofeach board member is a rectangular tube extending from a longitudinalend of the board member to an opposite longitudinal end the boardmember.
 9. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, atleast one end cap, which is a separate component from the board membersand the at least one joining member, configured to connect to alongitudinal end of the modular scaffold scaffold board.
 10. A kit ofparts as claimed in claim 9, wherein the end cap extends in thelongitudinal direction and one longitudinal end of the end cap comprisesat least one protrusion, extending in the longitudinal direction,forming a male connecting part configured to engage with a respectivefemale connecting part of the plurality of board members.
 11. A kit ofparts as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises anelastic locking member configured to engage with an engagement portionof the board member to which the joining member is joined.
 12. A kit ofparts as claimed in claim 11, Wherein an elastic force produced when theelastic locking member is elastically deformed acts to preventdisengagement of the locking member from the engagement portion.
 13. Ascaffolding system comprising: a plurality of transoms configured tosupport a scaffold board, such that the transoms have predeterminedmaximum spacing S there between, and a modular scaffold boardconstructed from a kit of parts according to claim 1.